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"We like to do our own thing"
I Love Filipino was a charming and informative show covering Filipino food, art, music, and architecture. The production values were not slick but that just added to the homey feel of Filipinos sharing their love for their culture, country, and people.
One-Pinoy Altanghap
Different dishes are explained and their origins. Also, how geography and history have transformed indigenous ingredients along with imports into tasty food that pleases the Filipino palate. Filipinos who left for work outside the country have also become more interested in learning traditional cooking and have brought back new takes on old recipes. As much as anything food nourishes not only the body but relationships and is a form of affection for guests and family.
Two-Himig
This episode focused on music. Foreign occupations in the past by Spain, Japan, and the United States caused musicians to express their feelings and love of country subversively. Foreigners and the diaspora still influence Filipino music but the country’s artists make everything their own. Whether its songs about love, gratefulness, or the coconut, composers stay true to their roots as they sing from their hearts and life experiences in versatile and creative ways.
Three-Juan with Art
Painting, sculpting, comic books, and making toys out of trash were highlighted. Many of the artists wish to express creatively the Filipino way of life including religion and family. Others stress sustainability with their artistic expressions. While one artist has made a name for himself with Marvel comic books, he and others in the field are working to revive and expand Filipino comic books.
Four-Sawsaw Juan
Filipinos love affair with sauces and dips was explored in this episode. Many of the sauces originated from resourceful mothers and grandmothers. In order to customize each bite and enjoy a diversity of flavors different sauces are available and the flavor combinations are constantly expanding.
Five-Bahay Kubo
The ancient and also imminently practical Bahay Kubo architecture was discussed. The basic style connects people to other people and nature. The style was described as resilient and spiritual. As one person said about sustainability in buildings and furniture, Filipinos didn’t have to relearn how to as they’ve nearly always used bamboo and local materials that are recyclable and biodegradable.
As I mentioned, the production values weren’t extremely high, but the love of the people for their country and skills shown through brightly. I enjoyed learning more about Filipino food, history, music, art, and architecture. Their devotion to preserving traditions and building on them all while trying to protect the environment was inspiring. Whether making delectable food, or creating toys from used flip-flops, or singing heartfelt music, creative artists shared their talent and affection for the place they call home. I for one, am happy I was able to briefly visit through I Love Filipino.
16 June 2025
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"It doesn't take much for friends to become foes"
The Wild trotted out every trope and plot element used in a dozen other gangster movies, offering nothing new or exciting. It’s only saving grace was that Park Sung Woong can always bring an intimidating presence to any role, even when playing an overaged boxer.Song Woo Cheol is picked up by his old friend and boss, Jang Do Shik, when he is released after 7 years in prison for accidentally killing another boxer in the ring during an illegal fight. Do Shik is ready to put Woo Cheol back to work, but the fighter wants, “to live quietly.” It takes no time for Woo Cheol to become entangled with a hooker who has a drug problem and one of her violent johns, Jo Jeong Gon, who is a detective and entangled with Do Shik and his North Korean drug supplier Ri Gak Soo. With a huge drug supply coming in, nearly everyone is double-crossing or murdering someone in order to either get hold of the drugs, the money, or both.
While I’m sure the writers thought the twists and turns would be surprising, I was calling them out before they came. It helps to have someone to be invested in, but for a solid hour, I really didn’t care about any of them. There were hints that Song Cheol regretted his part in the other fighter’s death and going to prison for Do Shik, but he didn’t exactly do anything to break away from Do Shik. I have no problem with age gaps, but a romance with someone half his age, felt more like male wish fulfillment than organic to the story.
The Wild was a wildly pessimistic and cynical gangster movie. I was deeply disappointed that Woo Cheol didn’t turn out to be as smart as I hoped he was. If you’ve never seen a Korean gangster movie or any gangster movie, The Wild might provide some twists and turns, otherwise, it was a “connect the dots” of familiar crooked games of deceit and betrayal all at the end of a knife.
26 January 2025
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"Who am I?"
Director Kim Ki Duk took the viewer to dark places with One on One. Though he highlighted how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the poor were shown to be just as culpable in society’s ills as those in positions of power.After a school girl was murdered, seven vigilantes stalked the killers and the ones who ordered the hit. One by one, the murderers were captured and tortured to find out all they knew about the killing. Each time they captured someone, the vigilantes changed costumes. The group began to fracture when some of the vigilantes begin to ask, when is too much violence, too much?
The contract killers were all shown to live comfortable lives with significant others. While they ate ramen as a snack, many of the vigilantes were reduced to eating it as their main meals. Most of the vigilantes were suffering social injustices from different corners. The curious thing was that Kim Young Min not only played one of the killers, but also several different characters callously interacting with the vigilantes in their daily lives. Perhaps it meant that abusive jerks are similar regardless of their station in life?
After every prisoner was captured, they all asked, “Don’t you know who I am?” Director Kim seemed to be asking the audience to ask that question of themselves as well. “I was just following orders” or even “I was doing it for the greater good” were the common answers given during the torture sessions. How many of the world’s evils have been built on those two concepts? What danger could a school girl be to society that she was brutally murdered?
The film was shot in two weeks and it looked flat and gray at times. The sound could be abysmally bad. Having seen Kim's 3-Iron which had almost no dialogue, the heavy-handed and stilted dialogue in this film was a disappointment. For those who would be bothered, there was a long sexual encounter that started with violence. Each “victim's” torture session was different, some of the methods were more gruesome than others. There were annoying lapses in logic on several occasions. Why would the school girl keep running down dark, empty alleys when there was a well-lit street with shops to dart into? Why didn’t the vigilantes have any security around their building? Despite their dangerous activities, they didn’t even lock the doors to their hideout. They were constantly followed and observed through windows yet never knew it.
Director Kim had plenty to say about human nature and its depravity. Good guys did bad things. A few of the bad guys regretted their actions. People were cruel and driven to be greedily selfish at all social levels. The utter lack of compassion for their fellow human beings went from the top to the bottom of the economic structure. Kim asked the question, “Who am I?” Perhaps more importantly, “What am I?" One on One was frustratingly inconclusive regarding answers and had an overtly pessimistic view of humanity.
11 July 2024
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Dr Storks protect and assist the miracles
Dr Storks followed the trials, joys, and frustrations of the medical personnel in the labor and delivery portion of a hospital as well as those in the NICU. Dr. Konotori worked to help mothers share the gift of life during the miracle of birth. Pregnancy is not an illness but as the drama showed, it is not without risks. The doctors and midwives fought alongside the parents and newborn infants as they dug deep to find their courage to succeed and survive.The main OB/Gyns were Drs. Konotori and Shinomiya, both devoted to their patients but as different as night and day. Friendly and talkative Konotori was willing to risk a mother’s life to save her uterus while harsh speaking and quiet Dr. Shinomiya was ready to perform a hysterectomy at the drop of a hat. Made for an interesting balance. For anyone wanting to watch the drama for Hoshino Gen, he was only in each episode for a few minutes. This was Ayano Go’s starring role and he made the most of it. I thoroughly enjoyed his piano performances in disguise as the pianist "Baby". Some doctors had character growth and others broke down. In my country the majority of OB/Gyns are women so it was odd seeing the majority of doctors as male. The female doctors weren’t very well represented. One female doctor was easily excitable and distracted while the other was a walking burnout. Both came across as fragile. The doctor I would want in my corner was the older NICU doc. He saw the big picture and was steady emotionally.
Each episode had different medical crises and subjects---teen pregnancy, adoption, abortion, Rubella, birth defects, maternal and infant deaths, IVF, smoking, preservation of the uterus, midwives, pregnancy and sexual discrimination, as well as discrimination against single parents and working women with children, postpartum depression, and more—whew! A few of the topics came across as strange to me. Adoption seemed to be a new concept and there were misconceptions about the availability of pregnancy care in Hawaii. Members of the staff also had very callous attitudes toward certain patients which seemed the opposite of how they should have approached patient care. The gut-wrenching stories involved parents and spouses faced with traumatic decisions that no one would ever want to make. Some parents handled bad news better than others. As in real life, there were parents who would do whatever was needed for their baby and others who wouldn’t visit a child fighting for its life. A few of the topics were handled with the subtlety of an afternoon school special while others were quite well done. I hate to admit that I became teary during two or three of the stories. It wasn't all tears, there were lovely heartwarming stories as well.
The cinematography and lighting were rudimentary and could be distracting. At times the music blared over the dialogue which was also distracting. What Dr. Storks had going for it were the compelling stories of life, death, and the medical personnel who fought for happy healthy outcomes for everyone even when it wasn’t possible. The doctors realized they were often powerless and that “things don’t always go as planned,” but that didn’t stop them from giving their all to the women and tiny lives entrusted to them.
4 Jan 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
"Pleased to eat you!"
If you decide to watch The Meg because of the tagline, "Pleased to eat you!" you probably already know to check your brain at the door because you are about to be swamped with clichéd characters and plot and ridiculous pseudo-science. Most of the CGI and cinematography were quality which helped when the dialogue tried to drown the fun of a massive Megalodon or two set loose from the Mariana Trench!Starring Jason Statham, you know he's going to have to go mano y pectoral fin with the giant 90ft/27m shark at some point in time. Jonas is the lone diver who can attempt a rescue at over 11,000ft/3300m depth and he's off in Thailand drinking his sorrows away. He'd attempted a rescue five years earlier of a sub trapped in the Trench and had to abandon some of his men when the sub was attacked by a giant creature. Even though he saved numerous lives he was branded as having had a psychological breakdown for the story he told. When his ex-wife and crew become stranded at the bottom of the Trench, an old teammate comes calling to talk him into rescuing her.
The characters were stock characters, shallow with little personality. Li Bing Bing was weighed down in the Stereotypical Headstrong Female Scientist role who thought Statham's Jonas was crazy and treated him as such until she was rescued by him numerous times as he snatched her out of the jaws of death. She had a Wise Beyond Her Years Daughter who helped to lead the two divorced people to a romance. The rest of the crew included the Egotistical Billionaire, Tough Chick, Black Guy Who Can't Swim (really?!?), Scientist Bestie, Jerk Doctor, Dad With a Target On His Back, and a couple of other scientists. Honestly, with the exception of a couple of characters, none of them were developed enough to make me care whether they lived or became chum. One of the early deaths was actually emotional and done well, after that it was bring on the shark!
The science was particularly awful without any conception of the forces at work on submersibles and the people in them at the deepest depths of the ocean. And one scene that was supposed to be frightening had me laughing until I could barely breathe. Seriously, that little boat they used was tough if they could lasso a megalodon using it! Also, every time the script called for Statham to have to dive into the water to face the big fish to show his courage was hilarious.
If you watch this movie, you need to know that there aren't any award-winning performances, in fact, some are particularly bad. The science is dreadful. The dialogue can be cringe-worthy. When numerous people are threatened the stakes don't feel very high because we don't know anyone, even the people from the main crew who fall into the water every five minutes. If you can set all that aside, it is a fun movie with the ginormous sharks seeking to turn back the clock about 10 million years when they ruled the oceans.
9/13/23
Edit--I bumped the score up .5 because I enjoyed it more than the sequel although the sequel had better acting. This one had me laughing more.
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This was almost non-stop Kaiju battles as monsters from the previous 50 years showed up to do battle with Godzilla, including the abomination from the US Godzilla (1998). A who’s who of monsters from the Godzillaverse---Hedorah, Rodan, Kamacuras, King Ghidorah, Manda, the aforementioned Zilla and many others. Mothra even showed up to bat clean-up with Gigan.
There was a lot to love in this movie. The humans were the most interesting of any of the Godzilla movies I’ve watched. It had aliens and mutant humans and futuristic weapons. Kitamura Kazuki as a bad alien with even badder guyliner was over the top. He looked like he was having as much fun making the movie as I had watching it. Don’t expect Oscar worthy performances, it’s not that kind of movie.
How could I not love a Godzilla movie that included my second favorite niche genre-kung fu in it?
Yes, the story could be a bit of a mess, but was easy to follow. The director unashamedly included a lot of the science fiction fads from previous years, the Matrix, Star Wars, Independence Day, Alien, and Jules Verne, among others. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. No doubt there were moments of pure cheese. They also must have spent most of their money on the monsters, sets, and CGI because the music sounded like some guy hitting random notes on a synthesizer. The non-stop action from beginning to end could be draining and there were times when Godzilla was absent during a lot of the action with other monsters and the aliens. However, when Godzilla did appear, he showed why he was a force to be reckoned with.
Godzilla: Final Wars features guys in rubber suits and miniaturized cities and vehicles, just as the Godzilla Genie intended them to be from this era. On Godzilla’s 50th anniversary and retirement, it was appropriate. Final Wars was a monster mash that was fun and entertaining from beginning to end.
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Famously known as the film Alexander Fu Sheng died while filming, in a car accident off set. The script had to be re-worked leaving him out of the final fight scenes.
The themes of loyalty, family, honor and betrayal are woven throughout the movie. Out of seven sons, only two survived a betrayal by a family friend and ambush. One was driven mad and the other hid in a Buddhist temple and refined his pole fighting skills. The mood is bleak and dark throughout the film as the surviving family members seek justice and revenge.
I look forward to movies directed and choreographed by Lau Kar Leung. His fights are always fast and creative. Brutal, too. Gordon Liu is a gifted fighter and with every film of his I see I am more and more impressed. The pole sparring session between Liu and Phillip Ko Fei is not to be missed. Not to be outdone, Kara Hui shines as the sister who has to fight through her own ambushes and entrapment on her way to find her brother. The final fight is a bit gruesome as the monks practice their non-lethal moves that extract an opponent’s teeth. The action is almost non-stop from the opening credits to the end.
The story didn’t move me as much as I hoped it would. The fight scenes were, however, spectacular and worth watching this movie for.
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"Everyone has a trigger"
What is the trigger for a person that will cause them to throw away their future for a moment of vengeance wrapped in the cloak of justice? What is the tipping point for a society lured into self-destruction? Trigger challenges the angel on a person’s shoulder to do the hard thing even as the devil on their other whispers for them to do the thing that will feel good in the moment.Due to his violent military past, Officer Lee Do has given up on guns and only carries a taser when on patrol. He seeks to show compassion to victims and enforce the law with criminals. South Korea’s stringent gun and ammo laws are suddenly being flouted by everyday citizens as well as criminals leading to numerous deaths and causing panic to incur in society. Do is determined to discover the source of the weapons and the plans of the dealers before Korea falls headlong into gun culture.
Trigger asked pertinent questions and addressed timely problems. While there were criminal elements getting their hands on guns, the more sinister elements involved the stressed-out citizenry clandestinely led down the path to their own annihilation. Bullied children and adults, the daily slings and arrows of casual cruelty, mental illness, and corporate greed and corruption drove people to their trigger points. When there was no recompense, no justice, no recourse for the downtrodden, desperate people with little to lose turned to vigilante justice with a gun. Trigger asked the audience to contemplate whether guns made people safer or less safe.
The production values were high and the story kept a stringent pace. That’s not to say you won’t have to suspend disbelief on occasion. I was relieved a drama finally showed the drawback to the first bullet in an officer’s gun being a blank. Most of the acting was excellent. Kim Nam Gil can always be counted on for a strong performance. I prefer him with facial hair and a devil-may-care grin, but we all have to suffer for his art at times. Kim Won Hae gave a nicely balanced performance as Do’s supervisor and father figure. He was utterly heartbreaking in one scene. Kil Hae Yeon played another distraught and vengeful mother, knowing how to hit all the emotional beats. I quite liked the music as it was neither intrusive nor overly wrought. My biggest complaint was the lighting and makeup that showed every pore on people’s faces and often the theatrical makeup itself.
Lessons I learned: 1) Always check your horoscope. 2) When holding a gun on a person, never stand too close. 3) Never bring a boxcutter to a gun fight. 4) It pays to know who your employees are. 5) A sincere apology could save your life. 6) “You can’t justify your actions with some sort of grade school philosophy.” You can, but it might not work out so well.
Guns are like cockroaches. Once a home is infested you are never going to get rid of them even if you burn the place to the ground. When trust is lost and people live in a state of fear, they are capable of abhorrent actions. And at least in Dramaland, if reminded of their humanity and shown compassion, people in a broken and suffering world can choose a path to a brighter future. I found Trigger entertaining, though it did bog down near the end. I only hope these forms of entertainment can help societies make choices that result in their children never having to practice active shooter drills at school.
25 July 2025
Trigger warnings: Numerous shooting deaths even of children. Because when guns are plentiful, the most vulnerable all too often fall victim.
Several comely nekkid buns at a gangster sauna.
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And the thunder rolls...
Had I Not Seen the Sun P2 continued the story of pain and retribution which began in P1. Questions were answered, monsters were destroyed and created, and justice was once again slow and ineffectual.Li Jen Yao is out of prison and working for Big K as a cleaner amongst other jobs. More than anything he is searching for Chiang Hsiao Tung who has seemingly disappeared. One night he helps a blind woman who has Chiang’s butterfly tattoo on her hand. Is this the girl he has been searching for? How could she look so different? Somehow in this town of over 2 million people other interested parties from the past also bump into the damaged pair.
Sun P2 did some things quite well. The romantic parts sizzled and scored. Chiang’s brokenness, not only from the attack by her rapists but by society’s lurid need for despicable videos, and people’s trained response to blame the victim, resulted in her mind’s answer to an unanswerable question to her problems. Alice Ko may have been too old for her role, but I honestly enjoy her performances and was grateful for her screen time in P2. The drama highlighted how Chiang felt trapped in that one horrific moment, not only her, but the boy who loved her as well.
What didn’t work for me as much: The villains became even more cartoon-like completely going over the top, perhaps to justify their gruesome deaths more. Li sinking into monsterdom wasn’t a shock, we knew from season 1 that he would go on a killing spree, but his bloodlust spilled over onto people who didn’t deserve it. His last murder was almost comical, it felt like the old saying, “In for a penny, in for a pound.” “I’ve murdered this many people so, why not?” While Chiang’s mental state was the focus of her story, it would seem the writers underwrote Li’s. His most monstrous act didn’t seem to faze Chiang which was also problematic for me. Li was always portrayed in a simple binary. There was Chiang, his sun, and everything and everyone else in the darkness with him. While I enjoyed watching the romance blossom, it was at best a female wish fulfillment of a guy who would do anything, anytime, anyway for his girl with few thoughts and desires of his own. Finally, after all the angst and mysteries, the drama took a shortcut in the healing of a truly complex mental illness that was jarring.
There was a public service announcement with a number to call “if you need someone to talk with” at the end of the drama, not how to get justice, which just showcased that rape is a part of life for many women. Women who will never see justice. Women who must deal with a patriarchal society that blames the victim, shames the victim, and oftentimes turns on the victim. With the advent of the internet, their pain can be on full display for seemingly all time with few recourses because the silent monsters in the dark feed on it. There were so many important things this drama touched on, not least of which was how abusive parents cause terrible brokenness in their children and society. I was prepared to give Had I Not Seen the Sun P2 a higher score as I was watching it until Li went completely off the rails. A romanticized monster is still a monster.
13 December 2025
Trigger Warnings: Sexual assaults, slicey and bone crushing murders, self-harm, suicide
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"You don't have the slightest notion of what war is like!"
By a Man’s Face Shall You Know Him tried hard to be a film about the futility of violence yet could only accomplish that task through buckets of blood and a high body count. Set in postwar Japan, instead of the Crips vs The Bloods, it was the Korean gangsters vs…a doctor.Dr. Amamiya recognizes a traffic victim who is rolled into his small clinic. The man’s face causes him to remember a difficult, desperate time from the past. After he returned from the war, Amamiya wanted nothing to do with killing or violence. The only problem being, a Korean gang was determined to take over the street market of which he was the owner. The gang took what they wanted, killed who they wanted, with no consequences from the police or government. Amamiya could be the only thing standing between the people being threatened and the gangsters determined to eliminate them.
The film had flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks. Dr. Amamiya had become disillusioned with the government and people in general after realizing he’d been lied to during the war, made worse by the lives he’d taken. He wanted the cycle of violence and death to end even as he was faced with it every day. When his brother came to town on a break from university, the stakes went way up as the way out narrowed.
This film had the look of a lower budget film with the performances hit or miss. There was a great deal of exaggerated acting which could be taxing to watch. Ando Noboru gave a convincing performance as the doctor with a very particular skill set unrelated to the medical field. Coincidentally, in real life, Ando had been a gang leader before he entered the entertainment field. Amamiya’s love interest, Maki, was always covered in sweat and screaming, obsessively clinging to him. Not exactly the epitome of a cool-headed nurse. Of course, the good doctor didn’t mind having a nooner in the clinic which wasn’t particularly professional.
For a film with gangsters, it incorporated more issues with post war societal and political upheaval than I would have expected. What interested me, despite the overt racism toward the Japanese Koreans, was the Korean gang. Japanese Koreans were not often the focus of many Japanese films. The Japanese looked down on the Koreans and the Koreans felt like their time of being dominated was over. Payback was coming. There was no lack of criticism for the war and the repercussions from it. Amamiya was criticized by multiple people for not choosing violence while his brother was considered a hero for confronting the large gang despite his spectacular failure. The yakuza were even too afraid to take on the Korean gang. The film used one of my least favorite tropes with a hero that refused to fight until the body count forced him to. Another issue was that women were not shown in the most flattering light. Maki was a basket case. The writers had the Korean woman Gye do something that lowered my score. For all time, no sane woman asks a man to rape her.
By a Man’s Face Shall You Know Him started out slow paced for a gangster film yet was also deeper than most. I didn’t appreciate the sexploitation and old school machismo acting. However, the bloody ultimate showdown did not disappoint. Though it is flawed, if you enjoy old school gangster flicks, this might be one to try.
26 June 2026
Trigger warnings: Sexual Assault. Sexual situations. Bloody, violent fight using guns and katanas.
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"I don't want their hearts, I only want the kingdom." Are you sure you don't want their heads?
Flying Guillotine 2 was the sequel to the 1975 film Flying Guillotine. Campier, bloodier, but less fun than the original, FG2 had a similar cast with people playing different characters because most of their characters were killed off in the first movie.The Qing emperor Yung Jing is furious that the ex-Flying Guillotine Ma Tang has not been found. Ma is not the only worry Yung has, rebels have been trying to assassinate him. The emperor has continued to have righteous officials and scholars murdered which does not sit too well with the surviving officials or the people. The rebels led by Hero Jin are planning to mass on Hsia Mountain. Before they can leave, the F.G. squad attacks. Most of the rebels survive because Ma Tang arrives with his Iron Umbrella that can defeat the spiraling death caps. Both sides accelerate their arms race in the hopes of defeating the other and being left with their bodies intact.
Ti Lung took over Chen Kuan Tai’s role as Ma Tang. With a huge cast, his time was shortened compared to Ma’s prevalent screen presence in the 1975 film. Shih Szu played Na Lan, the daughter of a minister, with a personal grudge who was determined to kill the emperor. And one of my faves, Ku Feng, brought the authoritarian threat to his role as the emperor. My other favorite, Lo Lieh, was stuck working with Wai Wang who had no idea how to play off another actor. I could see Lo trying to connect with him as Wai looked like he was thinking about what he was going to have for dinner.
There were substantially more and longer fights than in the first film all competently choreographed by Tang Chia. The problem with having such a large cast though is that the stakes were watered down. It was hard to care about 90% of the characters and whether they were separated from their heads. The flying guillotines, even with their upgrades, lost their spiky menace as they decapitated random characters too fast to process. The first film gave weight to the characters and corruption that added suspense and concern.
Flying Guillotine 2 aka Palace Carnage was fast paced with plenty of action, yet it felt strangely hollow with so few characters to connect with on a screen plastered with bodies. It’s worth a watch if you like the actors or the guillotines, if you come into the film with low expectations. As always, I rated it on a kung fu curve, and was probably being generous with a 7.0/10.
24 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Decapitations, of course. Arms chopped off. Two scenes with naked women for no other reason than it was 1978. A bird in flight was skewered with a sword.
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"In this world, the weak are playthings to the strong"
Third Shadow Warrior showed how man’s desire for carnage and power wasted the lives and resources of the land. Whether a farmer dreaming of being a samurai or a samurai lord desiring to rule everyone, the greed sank deep into the hearts of the sword bearing warriors.In 1564 the Hida area within the mountains escaped the large armies’ invasion. That didn’t stop smaller forces from desiring to rule the clans. Lord Yasutaka was winning the battles and close to being the ruler supreme of the Hida. A young farmer named Ninomiya Kyonosuke’s dream of being a samurai appears to be answered when Shinomura Saheita comes down from the castle to hire him. Ninomiya discovers he is to be one of Yasutaka’s three doubles, trained to exactly mimic the lord. Whatever troubles befall Yasutaka, befall the three doubles as well.
The message behind the film was strong. Samurai were not to be admired as they were blood-thirsty fighters who only desired more power and wealth never caring about anyone below them in stature or station. Each of the clans betrayed the other in order to move ahead. Betrayals were also rampant within the clans. Despite making strides forward, Ninomiya’s future burned around him with every step. Never clever nor ruthless enough, the farmer fell victim to others with more power. His own greed spelled his doom.
As much as I appreciated the bleak, disturbing story, the unfolding of the revelations felt perfunctory. I called out each disaster before they occurred. While I felt sorry for Ninomiya losing his identity, his impulsive actions also sealed his fate. His was not the sharpest katana in the drawer. The acting for many of the characters was also overly theatrical as if they were on a stage playing to the back row.
Third Shadow Warrior played out the ridiculous degrees of loyalty some samurai were called upon to enact. Not that the nobility and superiors were required to show the same loyalty, more often than not, those ranked below them suffered terrible consequences. Fate was not kind to those who did not understand their place and the sacrifices mandated upon them. Definitely worth a look if you enjoy anti-samurai or Jidaigeki films.
18 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Loss of eyes, loss of an arm.
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Tange Sazen Kenfu! Hyakuman Ryo no Tsubo
2 people found this review helpful
"See you never!"
Tange Sazen: The Million Pot Ryo is a famous tale. My first encounter with it was from the 1935 film with a similar title. While the 1935 film took a lighthearted approach, 1982’s was much grittier. Not an unexpected turn from director Gosha Hideo and star Nakadai Tatsuya.The “Shadow Shogun,” Gurako, convinces the shogun to have the Yagyu clan pay for the temple’s restoration. A sum of money designed to bankrupt them. Not to worry, the oldest Yagyu member of the clan knows of a treasure kept secret for emergencies, hidden within a vessel in the family vault. What he doesn’t know is that the walls have ears and now more than one interested party heads to find the vessel. When an orphan boy becomes embroiled in the mad chase, a one-eyed, one-armed ronin becomes involved…a problem for everyone seeking the fortune.
Tange Sazen had been unbeatable before the loss of his limb and eye. Even now, no one truly stands a chance against him. As cunning as he is skilled, Sazen manages to resolve the myriad of problems the treasure creates, though not how everyone else might want them solved. At 50-years-old, Nakadai still made for a compelling and fierce warrior. This Sazen was cynical, having been betrayed and maimed by people he trusted. Despite his missing arm and eye driving him back to his samurai life, he was still comfortable among thieves and prostitutes. The thieves Yokichi and Ofuji went from being adversaries to allies.
This made for television movie may not have been the highest quality project either Gosha or Nakadai worked on, but it was above average in entertainment as the different factions killed each other off in search for the treasure with Sazen always one step ahead or into his cups. Whatever he was up to, Nakadai’s Tange Sazen was fascinating to watch and worth a look at this older tv film.
17 March 2026
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Wong Fei Hung’s friends all train with Master Lin. His father refuses to let him train because his temper is too uncontrolled. During the yearly firecracker contest, Master Pang’s students cheat and fight dirty to defeat Lin’s students. Officer Chuan Wing is hunting a thief and murderer who uses a lethal kick. During one of WFH’s many skirmishes around town he thinks he met the thief who resides at the Pang school. Chuan Wing convinces Master Lu Ah Tsai who had trained WFH’s dad to train the son as well. The cocky new student and teacher travel north to train for two years.
This version of WFH was insufferable. I kept hoping the arrogant toddler would get his butt handed to him over and over. Even with his new sifu he was hot headed and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Maybe that would have been okay if the fights were good. There were really only two fights. Lau Kar Leung vs Lau Kar Wing and later Lau Kar Leung vs. Gordon Liu. Sadly, both fights were rather short. The two free for alls in the firework contests were just school yard brawls. Even the training sequences with Gordon vs a fortune in dishware were lackluster.
There was no mistaking who the troublemakers were going to be when Chiang Tao and Fung Hak On walked on screen. This WFH was just as bad as those characters at the start until he miraculously, and off screen, turned into a saint that could confer transformation with a look later in the film. Ugh.
Watching Wong Fei Hung throwing hissyfits was not entertaining for me. Watching the Lau brothers fight was. Quick and talented, I needed more of that and less of negative impulse driven characters swaggering around. The complete 180 of WFH and the Pang crew and murderer was unearned and irritatingly bad writing. Rated on a curve.
14 March 2026
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"One man alone can't fight injustice"
Don Wong, John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee all harbor secrets and are deadly Secret Rivals. This was a Hong Kong movie filmed in the RoK and used a number of Korean stuntmen and actors. The scenery was all in Korea as well.John and Don wander into the Prince’s city with different reasons for being there. The Prince is having a contest to hire the best fighter for his bodyguard. The fights are to the death. What the fighters don’t know is that the Prince and the Silver Fox stole a shipment of gold three years ago from the Chinese. They hope to pin the theft and a murder on the new bodyguard. Both John and Don fall for the lovely Ching Chin Chin who is the daughter of the inn’s owner.
The story was thin and the camera work not so great. What was good? If Hwang Jang Lee, Don Wong and John Liu are in a film there will be plenty of high-flying kicks which rarely used wires or undercranking. The Silver Fox had two of the best legs in the business. I didn’t really care much about the story, HJL flying without the use of wires, kicking high, hooking, and twisting, is always fun to watch. Of course, the stuntmen were called upon to do a few flips and somersaults here and there but the fights were largely au naturale.
The film was badly faded with white pock marks and green streaks. The only copy I could find was dubbed in English with grainy tin can sound. It’s the same guy who does all the male voice with a female actor doing all the women’s voices. No subtitles available. I tried to not let any of these things affect my review…too much.
If you like old kung fu flicks with creative kicks, this is one to try. Graded on a curve. Really missed HJL’s mom hair and 70’s stache.
8 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Lots of bodies, but no spewing blood
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